Impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the concentration and source apportionment of atmospheric ammonia (NH3) across India.

The wide spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has significantly influenced human activities around the world, providing a unique opportunity to investigate the response of air pollution to anthropogenic emission reduction. Compared with numerous studies on conventional air pollutants, atmospheric ammonia (NH3) that has matched sources from both anthropogenic and natural emissions has been rarely investigated. Here we assess impacts of the COVID-19 lockdown on ambient NH3 variation across India, one of the most severe NH3 pollution region in the world. The role of meteorology in shaping emission contribution to NH3 pollution and respective contribution of each emission source to ambient NH3 before and after the COVID-19 outbreak were investigated using the XGBoost algorithm coupled with WRF-Chem model. Results showed that ambient NH3 concentrations in the seven major cities (Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata and Mumbai) decreased by 2.1-53.8 % whereas in Ahmedabad increased by 20.3 % during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Obvious decrease in NH3 in Indo-Gangetic Plain (-17.1 %) was mainly driven by favorable meteorology, whereas the slight decline in NH3 in South India was mainly driven by epidemic-related emission control (-8.56 %). Source appointment results showed that the contribution of industrial emission (Ind) to ambient NH3 in most megacities showed a decreasing trend (between 11 % and 26 %) during the lockdown period. However, the reduction effect was mostly compensated by increasing contributions (15-25 %) of residential emission (Res) or agricultural soil emission (Ags). Particularly, in Ahmedabad and Lucknow ambient NH3 increased by 20.3 % and 12 % during the lockdown period, the reduction effect of Ind on ambient NH3 (-23 % and -11 %, respectively) was absolutely compensated by enhanced contribution of Res (24 %) and Ags (12 %), respectively. Our results highlight the importance of eliminating residential and agricultural NH3 emissions especially in North India.

An In-Situ Fabrication Method of ZnO and Other Zn(II) Compounds Containing Polypropylene Composites.

This study investigated the methods of preparation of zinc oxide-polypropylene nanocomposites and their antibacterial properties. Seven solutions with ZnO nanoparticles or zinc ions were formulated as a PP additive. Two methods of ZnO NPs syntheses were carried out: (1) a modified hydrothermal method where a water solution of zinc acetate dihydrate, PEI, and ammonia were mixed with a final pH 11; (2) a thermal decomposition of a water solution of zinc acetate in the presence of PEI and ammonia using a two-screw extruder. During the experiments, the influence of various amounts of particle stabilizer, heating of the solutions, and the temperatures of the syntheses were examined. As a result, the simultaneous crystallization of ZnO in the extrusion process confirmed this method's attractiveness from the application point of view. Fabricated PP-ZnO composite shows antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Noninvasive Physiologic Assessment of Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy Is Prognostic for Post-Transplant Events.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) causes impaired blood flow in both epicardial coronary arteries and the microvasculature. A leading cause of post-transplant mortality, CAV affects 50% of heart transplant recipients within 10 years of heart transplant. OBJECTIVES: This analysis examined the outcomes of heart transplant recipients with reduced myocardial blood flow reserve (MBFR) and microvascular CAV detected by 13N-ammonia positron emission tomography (PET) myocardial perfusion imaging. METHODS: A total of 181 heart transplant recipients who underwent PET to assess for CAV were included with a median follow-up of 4.7 years. Patients were classified into 2 groups according to the total MBFR: >2.0 and ≤2.0. Microvascular CAV was defined as no epicardial CAV detected by PET and/or coronary angiography, but with an MBFR ≤2.0 by PET. RESULTS: In total, 71 (39%) patients had an MBFR ≤2.0. Patients with an MBFR ≤2.0 experienced an increased risk for all outcomes: 7-fold increase in death or retransplantation (HR: 7.05; 95% CI: 3.2-15.6; P < 0.0001), 12-fold increase in cardiovascular death (HR: 12.0; 95% CI: 2.64-54.12; P = 0.001), and 10-fold increase in cardiovascular hospitalization (HR: 10.1; 95% CI: 3.43-29.9; P < 0.0001). The 5-year mean survival was 302 days less than those with an MBFR >2.0 (95% CI: 260.2-345.4 days; P < 0.0001). Microvascular CAV (adjusted HR: 3.86; 95% CI: 1.58-9.40; P = 0.003) was independently associated with an increased risk of death or retransplantation. CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal myocardial blood flow reserve, even in the absence of epicardial CAV, identifies patients at a high risk of death or retransplantation. Measures of myocardial blood flow provide prognostic information in addition to traditional CAV assessment.

Metagenomic insights into the effects of benzyl dodecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide (BDAB) shock on bacteria-driven nitrogen removal in a moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR).

The use of disinfectants made from quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) has greatly increased since the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2. However, the effect of QACs on wastewater treatment performance is still unclear. In this study, a commonly used QAC, i.e., benzyl dodecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide (BDAB), was added to a moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) to investigate BDAB's effect on nutrient removal. When the BDAB concentration was increased to 50 mg L-1, the ammonia removal efficiency (ARE) greatly decreased, as did the nitrate production rate constants (NPR). This inhibition was partly recovered by decreasing the BDAB concentration to 30 mg L-1. Metagenomic sequencing revealed the functional genera present during different stages of the control (Rc) and BDAB-added reactors (Re). The enriched genera (Rudaea, Nitrosospira, Sphingomonas, and Rhodanobacter) in Rc mainly related to the nitrogen metabolism, while the enriched genera in Re was BDAB-concentration dependent. Functional genes analysis suggested that a lack of ammonia oxidase-encoding genes (amoABC) may have caused a decrease in ARE in Re, while the efflux pump-encoding genes emrE, mdfA, and oprM and a gene encoding BAC oxygenase (oxyBAC) were responsible for BDAB resistance. The increase in the total abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in Re revealed a potential risk arising from BDAB. Overall, this study revealed the potential effect and ecological risks of BDAB introduction in WWTPs.

Spatiotemporal trends and impact of Covid-19 lockdown on eight sewage contaminants in Brisbane, Australia, from 2012 to 2020.

This study aims to investigate the spatiotemporal trends and impact of COVID-19 lockdowns to the profile of physiochemical parameters in the influent of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) around Brisbane, Australia. One 24-hr composite influent sample was collected from 10 WWTPs and analyzed for a range of physiochemical parameters per week (i.e., chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), ammonia, volatile suspended solid (VSS)) and per month (i.e., Ni and Cr) from 2012 to 2020, including the period of COVID-19 lockdowns in the region. The catchments studied were urban, with a mix of domestic and industrial activities contributing towards the contaminant profile. Statistical analysis identified that industrial and commercial land use, as well as population size had a large impact to the parameter loads and profile. Per capita mass loads of Cr in one catchment were 100 times higher than in others from one industrial point source. TP demonstrated a potential monotonic decrease over time due to practical reduction policies that have been implemented for phosphorous content in household detergents, except for one catchment where trade waste from food manufacturing industries contributed to an overall increase of 6.9%/year TP. The COVID-19 lockdown (March-April 2020) posed different impact on different catchments, either decrease (7-61%) or increase (2-40%) of most parameter loads (e.g., COD, TOC, TN, TP, VSS, Ammonia), which was likely driven by catchment characteristics (i.e., the proportion of residential, commercial, and industrial land uses). This study enhances our understanding of spatiotemporal trend of contaminants in the catchments for further effective source control.

Design and Fabrication of a Gas Sensor Based on a Polypyrrole/Silver Nanoparticle Film for the Detection of Ammonia in Exhaled Breath of COVID-19 Patients Suffering from Acute Kidney Injury.

One of the serious complications of COVID-19 is acute kidney injury (AKI), leading to a decrease in kidney function and even death. The concentration of ammonia (NH3) in the exhaled breath (EB) of COVID-19 patients suffering from AKI symptoms will be significantly increased. In this work, the detection of breath NH3 was performed at gold interdigital electrodes modified with a soluble polypyrrole microparticle and silver nanoparticle film (Au-IDEs/S-PPyMPs/AgNPs) as a noninvasive chemiresistor gas sensor. The response behavior of unmodified and modified gas sensors toward NH3 and other interfering compounds was studied. The Au-IDEs/S-PPyMPs/AgNPs exhibited NH3 detection in the linear dynamic range of 1.00-19.23 ppm, with a limit of detection of 0.12 ppm. Finally, the fabricated gas sensor was used to monitor the NH3 concentration in the EB of COVID-19 patients suffering from AKI symptoms. For this purpose, the gas sensor was validated in 19 EB samples (seven COVID-19-positive patients, four COVID-19-negative patients, and eight post-COVID-19 patients). The gas sensor was directly exposed to the EB samples, followed by recording the changes in electrical resistance via a low-cost digital multimeter. The sensing mechanism was explained as the interaction between breath NH3 and sensing materials. The breath NH3 concentrations have a desirable correlation (R2 = 0.8463) with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) values in COVID-19-positive patients. The fabricated gas sensor can distinguish COVID-19-positive patients suffering from AKI symptoms from COVID-19-negative patients and post-COVID-19 patients. The present work can pave the way for the development of a simple and efficient analytical approach for COVID-19 patients with AKI without the need for sample pretreatment.

Evaluation and Refinement of a Spot-change-only Cage Management System for Mice.

Maximizing operational efficiency while maintaining appropriate animal housing conditions is a continuous focus of research animal care programs. Our institution's longstanding approach to cage-change management included scheduled cage changes every 2 wk, with spot changes if cages met established visual criteria during the intervening period. This 2-wk plus spot changing (2WS) practice for mice housed in IVC was problematic during the COVID-19 pandemic when the need arose to minimize workload to reduce on-site staffing out of concern for employee health and possible absenteeism. With the approval of the IACUC, a spot-change-only (SCO) process was adopted, with the requirement to evaluate microenvironmental parameters under both practices to confirm acceptable equivalence. These parameters (humidity, temperature, and ammonia) were evaluated in a controlled study that found no significant difference between the 2 groups. Ammonia levels did not exceed 10 ppm in any group throughout the study. To assess operational differences between these 2 approaches, we collected cage-change data and employee feedback from facilities operating under these schemes. The SCO method required fewer cage changes than did the 2WS method (10.3% per day with 2WS and 8.4% per day with SCO). Despite this benefit, through a Plan-Do-Check-Act process that has been regularly employed at our institution, employee feedback identified important operational challenges associated with the SCO practice. The SCO approach was thus refined into a scheduled spot change (SSC) practice that builds on the SCO model by incorporating a scheduled focused cage evaluation period. Based on subsequent feedback, the SSC was found to retain the efficiency benefits afforded by the SCO model and simultaneously alleviated staff and operational concerns. This result underscores the importance of integrating staff feedback with a performance standard-based approach when assessing cage-change management.

Prior SARS-CoV-2 Infection Is Associated With Coronary Vasomotor Dysfunction as Assessed by Coronary Flow Reserve From Cardiac Positron Emission Tomography.

Background Cardiovascular complications from COVID-19 contribute to its high morbidity and mortality. The effect of COVID-19 infection on the coronary vasculature is not known. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of coronary vasomotor dysfunction identified by coronary flow reserve from cardiac positron emission tomography in patients with previous COVID-19 infection. Methods and Results All patients who had polymerase chain reaction-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection referred for myocardial stress perfusion positron emission tomography imaging at Brigham and Women's Hospital from April 2020 to July 2021 were compared with a matched control group without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection imaged in the same period. The main outcome was the prevalence of coronary vasomotor dysfunction. Myocardial perfusion and myocardial blood flow reserve were quantified using N13-ammonia positron emission tomography imaging. Thirty-four patients with prior COVID-19 were identified and compared with 103 matched controls. The median time from polymerase chain reaction-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 to cardiac positron emission tomography was 4.6 months (interquartile range,1.2-5.6 months). There were 16 out of 34 (47%) patients previously hospitalized for COVID-19 infection. Baseline cardiac risk factors were common, and 18 (53%) patients in the COVID-19 group had abnormal myocardial perfusion. Myocardial blood flow reserve was abnormal (<2) in 44.0% of the patients with COVID-19 compared with 11.7% of matched controls (P<0.001). The mean myocardial blood flow reserve was 19.4% lower in patients with COVID-19 compared with control patients (2.00±0.45 versus 2.48±0.47, P<0.001). Conclusions Myocardial blood flow reserve was impaired in patients with prior COVID-19 infection compared with cardiovascular risk factor-matched controls, suggesting a relationship between SARS-CoV-2 infection and coronary vascular health. These data highlight the need to assess long-term consequences of COVID-19 on vascular health in future prospective studies.

Hydrothermal deconstruction of single-use personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To minimise the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, there has been a substantial increase in the production and usage of synthetic personal protective equipment (PPE) globally. Consequently, single-use PPE have been widely adopted without appropriate regulations for their disposal, leading to extensive environmental contamination worldwide. This study investigates the non-catalytic hydrothermal deconstruction of different PPE items, including isolation gowns, gloves, goggles, face shields, surgical masks, and filtering-facepiece respirators. The selected PPE items were subjected to hydrothermal deconstruction for 90 min in the presence of 30-bar initial oxygen pressure, at temperatures ranging between 250 °C and 350 °C. The solid content in form of total suspended solids (TSS) was reduced up to 97.6%. The total chemical oxygen demand (tCOD) and soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) decreased with increasing deconstruction temperature, and at 350 °C the lowest tCOD and sCOD content of 546.6 mg/L and 470 mg/L, respectively, was achieved. Short-chained volatile fatty acids were produced after 90 min of deconstruction, predominantly acetic acid at concentrations up to 8974 mg/L. Ammonia nitrogen content (NH3-N) of up to 542.6 mg/L was also detected. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and unreacted oxygen (O2) were the main gaseous by-products at up to 15.6% (w/w) and 88.7% (w/w), respectively. The findings suggest that non-catalytic hydrothermal deconstruction is a viable option to process and manage PPE waste.

L-ornithine L-aspartate in acute treatment of severe hepatic encephalopathy: A double-blind randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Data on the use of intravenous L-ornithine L-aspartate (LOLA) in the treatment of overt HE (OHE) is limited. We evaluated the role of intravenous LOLA in patients of cirrhosis with OHE grade III-IV. APPROACH AND RESULTS: In a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial, 140 patients were randomized to a combination of LOLA, lactulose, and rifaximin (n = 70) or placebo, lactulose, and rifaximin (n = 70). LOLA was given as continuous intravenous infusion at a dose of 30 g over 24 h for 5 days. Ammonia levels, TNF-α, ILs, and endotoxins were measured on days 0 and 5. The primary outcome was the improvement in the grade of HE at day 5. Higher rates of improvement in grade of HE (92.5% vs. 66%, p < 0.001), lower time to recovery (2.70 ± 0.46 vs. 3.00 ± 0.87 days, p = 0.03), and lower 28-day mortality (16.4% vs. 41.8%, p = 0.001) were seen in the LOLA group as compared with placebo. Levels of inflammatory markers were reduced in both groups. Significantly higher reductions in levels of blood ammonia, IL-6, and TNF-α were seen in the LOLA group. CONCLUSIONS: Combination of LOLA with lactulose and rifaximin was more effective than only lactulose and rifaximin in improving grades of HE, recovery time from encephalopathy, with lower 28-day mortality.

Ammonia Emissions from NPK Fertilizer Production Plants: Emission Characteristics and Emission Factor Estimation.

Fertilizers are made from manure, but they are also produced through chemical processes. Fertilizer is an ammonia emission source; it releases ammonia when used. Ammonia is also emitted during the production process. Although many studies related to fertilizer application have been conducted, there are few research cases related to the production process and related emissions are not calculated. In this study, the ammonia emissions from NPK (nitrogen phosphorus Potassium oxide) fertilizer production facilities were checked through actual measurement and related characteristics were analyzed. In addition, emission factors were developed, and the necessity of developing emission factors was also confirmed. As a result of the development of the emission factor, it was found to be 0.001 kgNH3/ton, which is like the range of emission factors in related fields. The NPK ammonia emission factor of this study was found to be higher than the minimum emission factor currently applied in South Korea, and it was judged to be a level that can be used as an emission factor.

Segmental cardiac strain assessment by two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in surviving MIS-c patients: Correlations with myocardial flow reserve (MFR) by 13 N-ammonia PET-CT.

BACKGROUND: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-c) is associated with severe cardiovascular impairment and eventually death. Pathophysiological mechanisms involved in myocardial injury were scarcely investigated, and cardiovascular outcomes are uncertain. Autopsy studies suggested that microvascular dysfunction may be relevant to LV impairment. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate segmental LV longitudinal strain by 2DST echocardiography and myocardial flow reserve (MFR) by 13 N-ammonia PET-CT, in six surviving MIS-c patients. METHODS: Each patient generated 34 LV segments for combined 2DST and MRF analysis. MFR was considered abnormal when <2, borderline when between 2 and 2.5 and normal when >2.5. RESULTS: From July 2020 to February 2021, six patients were admitted with MIS-c: three males, aged 9.3 (6.6-15.7) years. Time from admission to the follow-up visit was 6.05 (2-10.3) months. Although all patients were asymptomatic and LV EF was ≥55%, 43/102 (42.1%) LV segments showed MFR <2.5. There was a modest positive correlation between segmental peak systolic longitudinal strain and MFR: r = .36, p = .03 for basal segments; r = .41, p = .022 for mid segments; r = .42, p = .021 for apical segments. Median peak systolic longitudinal strain was different among MRF categories: 18% (12%-24%) for abnormal, 18.5% (11%-35%) for borderline, and 21% (12%-32%) for normal MFR (p = .006). CONCLUSION: We provided preliminary evidence that surviving MIS-c patients may present subclinical impairment of myocardial microcirculation. Segmental cardiac strain assessment 2DST seems useful for MIS-c cardiovascular follow-up, given its good correlation with 13 N-ammonia PET-CT derived MFR.

Transparent Anti-SARS-CoV-2 and Antibacterial Silver Oxide Coatings.

Transparent antimicrobial coatings can maintain the aesthetic appeal of surfaces and the functionality of a touch-screen while adding the benefit of reducing disease transmission. We fabricated an antimicrobial coating of silver oxide particles in a silicate matrix on glass. The matrix was grown by a modified Stöber sol-gel process with vapor-phase water and ammonia. A coating on glass with 2.4 mg of Ag2O per mm2 caused a reduction of 99.3% of SARS-CoV-2 and >99.5% of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus compared to the uncoated glass after 1 h. We envisage that screen protectors with transparent antimicrobial coatings will find particular application to communal touch-screens, such as in supermarkets and other check-out or check-in facilities where a number of individuals utilize the same touch-screen in a short interval.

Quantification and Comparison of Risks Associated with Wastewater Use in Spray Irrigation.

In the U.S., spray irrigation is the most common method used in agriculture and supplementing with animal wastewater has the potential to reduce water demands. However, this could expose individuals to respiratory pathogens such as Legionella pneumophila and nontuberculosis Mycobacteria (NTM). Disinfection with methods like anaerobic digestion is an option but can increase concentrations of cytotoxic ammonia (personal communication). Our study aimed to model the annual risks of infection from these bacterial pathogens and the air concentrations of ammonia and determine if anaerobically digesting this wastewater is a safe option. Air dispersion modeling, conducted in AERMOD, generated air concentrations of water during the irrigation season (May-September) for the years 2013-2018. These values fed into the quantitative microbial risk assessments for the bacteria and allowed calculation of ammonia air concentrations. The outputs of these models were compared to the safety thresholds of 10-4 infections/year and 0.5 mg/m3 , respectively, to determine their potential for negative health outcomes. It was determined that infection from NTM was not a concern for individuals near active spray irrigators, but that infection with L. pneumophila could be a concern, with a maximum predicted annual risk of infection of 3.5 × 10-3 infections/year and 25.2% of parameter combinations exceeding the established threshold. Ammonia posed a minor risk, with 1.5% of parameter combinations surpassing the risk threshold of 0.5 mg/m3 . These findings suggest that animal wastewater should be anaerobically digested prior to use in irrigation to remove harmful pathogens.

Filling in the Gaps in Metformin Biodegradation: a New Enzyme and a Metabolic Pathway for Guanylurea.

The widely prescribed pharmaceutical metformin and its main metabolite, guanylurea, are currently two of the most common contaminants in surface and wastewater. Guanylurea often accumulates and is poorly, if at all, biodegraded in wastewater treatment plants. This study describes Pseudomonas mendocina strain GU, isolated from a municipal wastewater treatment plant, using guanylurea as its sole nitrogen source. The genome was sequenced with 36-fold coverage and mined to identify guanylurea degradation genes. The gene encoding the enzyme initiating guanylurea metabolism was expressed, and the enzyme was purified and characterized. Guanylurea hydrolase, a newly described enzyme, was shown to transform guanylurea to one equivalent (each) of ammonia and guanidine. Guanidine also supports growth as a sole nitrogen source. Cell yields from growth on limiting concentrations of guanylurea revealed that metabolism releases all four nitrogen atoms. Genes encoding complete metabolic transformation were identified bioinformatically, defining the pathway as follows: guanylurea to guanidine to carboxyguanidine to allophanate to ammonia and carbon dioxide. The first enzyme, guanylurea hydrolase, is a member of the isochorismatase-like hydrolase protein family, which includes biuret hydrolase and triuret hydrolase. Although homologs, the three enzymes show distinct substrate specificities. Pairwise sequence comparisons and the use of sequence similarity networks allowed fine structure discrimination between the three homologous enzymes and provided insights into the evolutionary origins of guanylurea hydrolase.IMPORTANCE Metformin is a pharmaceutical most prescribed for type 2 diabetes and is now being examined for potential benefits to COVID-19 patients. People taking the drug pass it largely unchanged, and it subsequently enters wastewater treatment plants. Metformin has been known to be metabolized to guanylurea. The levels of guanylurea often exceed that of metformin, leading to the former being considered a "dead-end" metabolite. Metformin and guanylurea are water pollutants of emerging concern, as they persist to reach nontarget aquatic life and humans, the latter if it remains in treated water. The present study has identified a Pseudomonas mendocina strain that completely degrades guanylurea. The genome was sequenced, and the genes involved in guanylurea metabolism were identified in three widely separated genomic regions. This knowledge advances the idea that guanylurea is not a dead-end product and will allow for bioinformatic identification of the relevant genes in wastewater treatment plant microbiomes and other environments subjected to metagenomic sequencing.

Sensors for the detection of ammonia as a potential biomarker for health screening.

The presence of ammonia within the body has long been linked to complications stemming from the liver, kidneys, and stomach. These complications can be the result of serious conditions such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), peptic ulcers, and recently COVID-19. Limited liver and kidney function leads to increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN) within the body resulting in elevated levels of ammonia in the mouth, nose, and skin. Similarly, peptic ulcers, commonly from H. pylori, result in ammonia production from urea within the stomach. The presence of these biomarkers enables a potential screening protocol to be considered for frequent, non-invasive monitoring of these conditions. Unfortunately, detection of ammonia in these mediums is rather challenging due to relatively small concentrations and an abundance of interferents. Currently, there are no options available for non-invasive screening of these conditions continuously and in real-time. Here we demonstrate the selective detection of ammonia using a vapor phase thermodynamic sensing platform capable of being employed as part of a health screening protocol. The results show that our detection system has the remarkable ability to selectively detect trace levels of ammonia in the vapor phase using a single catalyst. Additionally, detection was demonstrated in the presence of interferents such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and acetone common in human breath. These results show that our thermodynamic sensors are well suited to selectively detect ammonia at levels that could potentially be useful for health screening applications.

Geospatial correlation between COVID-19 health misinformation and poisoning with household cleaners in the Greater Boston Area.

INTRODUCTION: Calls to poison control about exposure to household cleaners have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. This dynamic may reflect increased exposure from public health efforts as well as health misinformation shared on social media. METHODS: We analyzed the dynamics of calls to the Regional Center for Poison Control and Prevention serving Massachusetts and Rhode Island (MARI PCC) and tweets discussing treating COVID-19 with house cleaners from January 20, 2020 to May 5, 2020. We obtained publicly available tweets discussing the use of household cleaners to "cure COVID" from the same time period with geographic co-ordinates indicating that they were emitted from the Greater Boston Area. RESULTS: Our main finding is that public health efforts were followed by a sustained increase in calls after March 15, 2020 (10 ± 2 calls per day before to 15 ± 2.5 after) while misinformation on social media was associated with intermittent spikes in calls. Overall, calls significantly increased during the study period by 34% as compared to the previous 8 years, mostly reporting unintentional ingestions with no serious effects. The daily volume of tweets and retweets was significantly correlated with daily call rates to MARI PCC for the surrounding 7-10 days. CONCLUSIONS: Health misinformation on social media about using household cleaning agents to treat COVID-19 and public health efforts lead to different dynamics in PCC calls. Public health efforts were followed by a sustained increase in calls after March 15, 2020 while misinformation on social media was followed by intermittent spikes in calls. This analysis is the first to link the geospatial dynamics of social media and public health interventions to poison center calls about exposure to household cleaners.

Describing the trend of ammonia, particulate matter and nitrogen oxides: The role of livestock activities in northern Italy during Covid-19 quarantine.

Nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx) and ammonia (NH3) are among the main contributors to the formation of secondary particulate matter (PM2.5), which represent a severe risk to human health. Even if important improvements have been achieved worldwide, traffic, industrial activities, and the energy sector are mostly responsible for NOx and SOx release; instead, the agricultural sector is mainly responsible for NH3 emissions. Due to the emergency of coronavirus disease, in Italy schools and universities have been locked down from late February 2020, followed in March by almost all production and industrial activities as well as road transport, except for the agricultural ones. This study aims to analyze NH3, PM2.5 and NOx emissions in principal livestock provinces in the Lombardy region (Brescia, Cremona, Lodi, and Mantua) to evaluate if and how air emissions have changed during this quarantine period respect to 2016-2019. For each province, meteorological and air quality data were collected from the database of the Regional Agency for the Protection of the Environment, considering both data stations located in the city and the countryside. In the 2020 selected period, PM2.5 reduction was higher compared to the previous years, especially in February and March. Respect to February, PM2.5 released in March in the city stations reduced by 19%-32% in 2016-2019 and by 21%-41% in 2020. Similarly, NOx data of 2020 were lower than in the 2016-2019 period (reduction in March respect to February of 22-42% for 2016-2019 and of 43-62% for 2020); in particular, this can be observed in city stations, because of the current reduction in anthropogenic emissions related to traffic and industrial activities. A different trend with no reductions was observed for NH3 emissions, as agricultural activities have not stopped during the lockdown. Air quality is affected by many variables, for which making conclusions requires a holistic perspective. Therefore, all sectors must play a role to contribute to the reduction of harmful pollutants.